Improvement in melting  fuenaces



` s. A., WHITNEY.

' Mening Mem.

Patentednec. 4,1866. l f

ams magno. Eimwmn.. vimmrrron, mc. r

fvt

@uitrit tutes @anni ffitrr IMPROVEMENT IN MELTING I'URNAGES.

SPECIFICATION.

TO ALL WHOM IT'MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. WHITNEY, ot' Glassboro, Gloucester county, New Jersey, have invented anirnproved Melting Furnace; and I do hereby declare the following to be a f1'1ll,clear,` and exact `description fof the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, and to the lettersot` reference marked thereon.'`

My invention consists of a furnace, constructed in the peculiar manner fully described hereafter, for tha` purpose of obtaining a more intense heat by the concentration of the products of` combustion, and for the `pur.l

their fracture, and at the same time economizing the consumption of fuel.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its pose oi' so distributing the latter that the crucibles shall be uniformly heated throughout, ythereby preventing -construction and operation.

0n reference to the accompanying drawing, which `forms a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view ot'v my improved furnace;

Figure 2, a sectional plan of the same, oIPthe line 1 2, i'g. l;

Figurev 3, a section of part of the .furnace on the line 3 4, iig. 2;

Figure 4, a detached' sectional view on the line 5 6, iig. '1;

Figure 5, an outside view of rpart of the furnace; and

Figure 6, a sectional view of part of an ordinary glass furnace.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views. v Y l The lower portion, A, of 4my improved-furnace is, in the present instance, circular, and has two opposite n reLplaccs, B and B', each of which is provided with an ordinary door, a, grate bai-Syb, and ash pit, @and with each ash pit communicates a blast opening, d. (See iig. I.) Each fire-place has an inclined top, as shown in fig. 1, and a passage, e, throughwhich it communicates with a central vertical liuc, C. At right angles to the -iire-placesand extending through the lower portion A of the furnace, is an archedtunncl, D, above which,

and beneath the flue C is formed a reservoir, E,.the latter, as seen in -lig. 4, communicating with the tunnel D through a small opening, f, the object of which'will be render-ed apparent hereafter. The lower portion of the furnace supports a circular superstructure, F, of fire-proof material, the peculiar shape of which will be best obsei' ed ou reference to iig. 1. This dome-like superstructure has a central chamber, C', forming4 a cons tinuation of the central iiue C, and terminating in the arched roof g. Un the bed of` the furnace within ithe dome a number of pots or cruoibles, G, (eight in the present instance',) are arranged ina circle, and 'at equal distances apart from each other, each Crucible resting on small projections, zu, and at pointsbetween the crucibles the wall'surrouuding the4 chamber C' is-pierced with holes, h it, (iigs. 2 and Passages, H, communicating with the central tlueG, are formed beneath the bed of the furnace and directly under each crueible, in front of whicheacli passage has an outlet, 'L'. Around the side of the dome are openings, m, one opposite each crucible, the openings being separated by the triangular supports I, in each of which is formed an outlet flue, Z. Each of these openings, m, is closed, as seen in iig. 1, by removable slabs, n, of fire clay, and in the dome F, immediately over each of the said openings, m, are cut ring-holes, p, (g. 5.) Supported by columns, q q, `and above the dome F, is a conical chimney, X, shown in red lines, iig. `1. The crucibles with the material to be melted are introduced through the openings m into the furnace, and are so adjusted as to rest upon the projections w,

Ly means of which the crucibles are elevated suiflciently to permit the products `of combustion to pass `beneath i them. After the introduction of the crucibles, the openings m are` entirely closed by means of the slabs n, p

shown in iig. 1, the ring-holes p in the dome being left open.

',lhe fuel being kindled, the products of combustion, accelerated by the blast through the openings d, pass p in the direction of the arrows, lig. 1, through the tire-places B and B', and the passages e e, into the central flue` C, into the chamber C', and thence through the ues H and openings h into the chamber containing the crucibles.

In order to explainy the advantages of my improved glass furnace, it 'will be necessary `to refer to one of ordinary construction, as seen in iig. 6. In this furnace,the products of combustion rise to the top `of and are dispersed and expanded throughout the interior of the high dome, and then take a downward course towards the ringholes p. By their expansion, the heat of the products of combustion is diminished; theicru'eibles, y moreover, are unevenly heated, the products of combustionvimpinging against the rear o f each crucible, while the front is comparatively cool, an evil which results in their frequent rupture. In my improved furnace, the

space for the reception of the crucibles is contracted as much as possible, partly by depressing the dome at the p top, as seen in gfl, 'andpartly by the walls round the circular chamber' C, thus `leaving a contracted annular chamber, within-which the crucibles are arranged in the manner described. Instead of permitting the products of combustion to expand after lcavingthe fire-place', they passfirst into the contracted iue C, thence into the chamber C', from which they are distributed through still more contracted openings, H and il, into the annular chamber containing the crucibles. So intense is the heat caused by this concentration and distribution of the products of combustion, that no unconsumed particles-of the latter pass into the crucible chamber, hence the most pure dint glass can be melted in open pots. It will be seen that the outlet iiue's for the passage ofthe products of combustion into the 'Crucible chamber are so arranged, in respect to the crucibles, that an uniform heat must be imparted to every portion of the latter; eveu the bottoms of the crucibles receive their proper degree of heat, as they resten projections, so that the products of combustion can pass beneath them. The lues Z are Vgenerally closed at the top by slabs, a', which, however," may be occasionally removed, shoulcbit -be desirable to cause a portion of the products of combustion to pass oif without rising into the crucible-chamber. Should an)r molten glass escape from the crucibles, it will find its way through the passages H la, into the central fine, and fall thence into the recess E, from which it Will flow through the passage f into any suitable receptacle'within the'tunnel D. i l f" Although I have illustrated and described my improved glass furnace as being circular in form, it will 'be evident that the main features of my invention may be carried out in a fnrnaceof oval, oblong, or other modified shape. The furnace may also be used for melting steel and other metals in crucibles. I

I claim as my invention, and desire tov secure by Letters Patent- 1. A furnace composed ofthe lower portion A, containing the fireplaces and central flue, C, and the superstructure containing the central-chamber C and crucible chamber, communicating with each other through con- Y tracted passages, all substantially as described.

2. The combination and arrangement, substantially as described, of the central distributing chamber C', passages H h, and crucible chamber G. I 8. The projections rv, arranged as a support for the crucibles, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The dome-shaped structure, F, depressed in the middle' and arranged to cover the central chamber C and crucible chambenGr, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specication, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

.S. A. WHITNEY.

Witnesses:

H. HOWSON, CEAS. E. Fos'rnn. 

